Assisted suicide bill set to fail

Holyrood poll finds that just 19 of out 129 MSPs support Margo MacDonald's bid to legalise physician-assisted suicide

An attempt by a politician who suffers from Parkinson's disease to legalise assisted suicide is set to fail, according to a survey suggesting that it is opposed by a majority of MSPs.

The poll of 97 of Holyrood's 129 members found that 55 were against the legislation proposed by the nationalist MSP Margo MacDonald. Only 19 MSPs said they supported her plans while 23 were undecided.

MacDonald, who believes terminally-ill people should be given the choice to end their own lives, hopes to table a bill in the Scottish parliament to legalise physician-assisted suicide.

The proposed legislation is aimed at people with degenerative conditions and terminal illnesses and dependent trauma victims. MacDonald believes they should have the right to shorten their life if it becomes intolerable without fear that carers who assist them could be prosecuted.

However, the move has been criticised by MSPs and church leaders. The survey of